Whether the Patriots’ job opens remains to be seen since that would require the Kraft family dumping its heir apparent to Bill Belichick after one season, albeit a brutal one.
The 3-13 Patriots will secure the No. 1 pick with a home loss to the Bills in Week 18.
ESPN’s Dan Orlovsky recently said he believes “Vrabel is spoken for“, though he did not clarify whether he meant at the professional or college level.
Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer, a former Patriots reporter, noted how the Krafts would have to be working the phones if they wanted to land Vrabel since he told NBC Sports that Vrabel is the “fastest-moving train on the coaching market.”
“If you want to be in (the running for Vrabel), you’ve got to back-channel now,” Breer said, as transcribed by NBC Boston. “That’s a discussion the Krafts probably have to have, and have to have alone. They’ve got a level of trust with Mike Vrabel where they could probably talk to him.”
The Jets, Saints, and Bears jobs are all open while interim coaches finish out the season.
The Cowboys, Raiders, Giants, and Jaguars could potentially be in the market for a new coach as well.